Infinitely Losing My Edge
Yeah, I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
The kids are coming up from behind.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge to the kids from Korea South and from Beijing.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge to the kids whose footsteps I hear when they get on the decks.
I'm losing my edge to the internet seekers who can tell me every member of every good group from 1962 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manchester and Shanghai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Johannesburg kids in little jackets and borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered nineties.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
I can hear the footsteps every night on the decks.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968 at the first Bowie practice in a loft in Bromley.
I was working on the snare sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay started up his first band.
I told him, "Don't do it that way. You'll never make a dime."
I was there.
I was the first guy playing Todd Terry to the funk kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
Everybody thought I was crazy.
We all know.
I was there.
I was there.
I've never been wrong.
But I'm losing my edge to better-looking people with better ideas and more talent.
And they're actually really, really nice.
I'm losing my edge.
I heard you have a compilation of every good song ever done by anybody.
Every great song by Beasts of Bourbon. All the underground hits.
All Kool G Rap & DJ Polo tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Cymande record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a snare and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Nick Fraelich record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
T. Rex,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Model 500,
The Invisible,
La Düsseldorf,
Public Image Ltd.,
Bauhaus,
Mars,
Jacob Miller,
Zapp,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Idris Muhammad,
The Tremeloes,
The Buckinghams,
Joey Negro,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Sun Ra,
The Blues Magoos,
UT,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Brass Construction,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Stiv Bators,
Nick Fraelich,
Fat Boys,
Fatback Band,
Bush Tetras,
the Sonics,
DNA,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
The Doobie Brothers,
The Smiths,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
The Dead C,
Gang Gang Dance,
Spandau Ballet,
Skriet,
Ronan,
Rapeman,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Eric B and Rakim,
The Motions,
Aswad,
John Cale,
Sight & Sound,
Cameo,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Curtis Mayfield,
Swell Maps,
Alphaville,
Amon Düül II,
Heaven 17,
These Immortal Souls,
Marcia Griffiths,
Agent Orange,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Kurtis Blow,
John Coltrane,
Eve St. Jones, Eve St. Jones, Eve St. Jones, Eve St. Jones.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.